Austerity In America: 22 Signs That It Is Already Here And That It Is Going To Be Very Painful

By Michael Snyder, on January 18th, 2011

Over the past couple of years, most Americans have shown little concern as austerity measures were imposed on financially troubled nations across Europe. Even as austerity riots erupted in nations such as Greece and Spain, most Americans were still convinced that nothing like that could ever happen here. Well, guess what? Austerity has arrived in America. At this point, it is not a formal, mandated austerity like we have seen in Europe, but the results are just the same. Taxes are going up, services are being slashed dramatically, thousands of state and city employees are being laid off, and politicians seem to be endlessly talking about ways to make even deeper budget cuts. Unfortunately, even with the incredibly severe budget cuts that we have seen already, many state and local governments across the United States are still facing a sea of red ink as far as the eye can see.

Most Americans tend to think of “government debt” as only a problem of the federal government. But that is simply not accurate. The truth is that there are thousands of “government debt problems” from coast to coast. Today, state and local government debt has reached at an all-time high of 22 percent of U.S. GDP. It is a crisis of catastrophic proportions that is not going away any time soon.

A recent article in the New York Times did a good job of summarizing the financial pain that many state governments are feeling right now. Unfortunately, as bad as the budget shortfalls are for this year, they are projected to be even worse in 2012….

While state revenues — shrunken as a result of the recession — are finally starting to improve somewhat, federal stimulus money that had propped up state budgets is vanishing and costs are rising, all of which has left state leaders bracing for what is next. For now, states have budget gaps of $26 billion, by some estimates, and foresee shortfalls of at least $82 billion as they look to next year’s budgets.

So what is the solution? Well, for state and local politicians from coast to coast, the answer to these financial problems is to impose austerity measures. Of course they never, ever use the term “austerity measures”, but that is exactly what they are.

The following are 22 signs that austerity has already arrived in America and that it is going to be very, very painful….

#1 The financial manager of the Detroit Public Schools, Robert Bobb, has submitted a proposal to close half of all the schools in the city. His plan envisions class sizes of up to 62 students in the remaining schools.

#2 Detroit Mayor Dave Bing wants to cut off 20 percent of the entire city from police and trash services in order to save money.

#6 In the state of Illinois, lawmakers recently pushed through a 66 percent increase in the personal income tax rate.

#7 The town of Prichard, Alabama came up with a unique way to battle their budget woes recently. They simply stopped sending out pension checks to retired workers. Of course this is a violation of state law, but town officials insist that they just do not have the money.

#9 The state of New Jersey is in such bad shape that they still are facing a $10 billion budget deficit for this year even after cutting a billion dollars from the education budget and laying off thousands of teachers.

#10 Due to a very serious budget shortfall, the city of Newark, New Jersey recently made very significant cuts to the police force. Subsequently, there has been a very substantial spike in the crime rate.

#14 Oakland, California Police Chief Anthony Batts has announced that due to severe budget cuts there are a number of crimes that his department will simply not be able to respond to any longer. The crimes that the Oakland police will no longer be responding to include grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism.

#15 In Connecticut, the governor is asking state legislators to approve the biggest tax increase that the state has seen in two decades.

#16 All across the United States, conditions at many state parks, recreation areas and historic sites are deplorable at best. Some states have backlogs of repair projects that are now over a billion dollars long. The following is a quote from a recent MSNBC article about these project backlogs….

More than a dozen states estimate that their backlogs are at least $100 million. Massachusetts and New York’s are at least $1 billion. Hawaii officials called park conditions “deplorable” in a December report asking for $50 million per year for five years to tackle a $240 million backlog that covers parks, trails and harbors.

#18 Not only that, but Arizona is so desperate for money that they have even sold off the state capitol building, the state supreme court building and the legislative chambers.

#19 All over the nation, asphalt roads are actually being ground up and are being replaced with gravel because it is cheaper to maintain. The state of South Dakota has transformed over 100 miles of asphalt road into gravel over the past year, and 38 out of the 83 counties in the state of Michigan have transformed at least some of their asphalt roads into gravel roads.

#20 The state of Illinois is such a financial disaster zone that it is hard to even describe. According to 60 Minutes, the state of Illinois is six months behind on their bill payments. 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Croft asked Illinois state Comptroller Dan Hynes how many people and organizations are waiting to be paid by the state, and this is how Hynes responded….

“It’s fair to say that there are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people waiting to be paid by the state.”

#21 The city of Chicago is in such dire straits financially that officials there are actually toying with the idea of setting up a city-owned casino as a way to raise cash.

#22 Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is desperately looking for ways to cut the budget and he says that “hundreds of jurisdictions” in his state could go bankrupt over the next few years.

But everything that you have just read is only the beginning. Budget shortfalls for our state and local governments are projected to be much worse in the years ahead.

So what is the answer? Well, our state and local governments are going to have to spend less money. That means that we are likely to see even more savage budget cutting.

In addition, our state and local politicians are going to feel intense pressure to find ways to “raise revenue”. In fact, we are already starting to see this happen.

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, over the past couple of years a total of 36 out of the 50 U.S. states have raised taxes or fees of some sort.

So hold on to your wallets, because the politicians are going to be coming after them.

We are entering a time of extreme financial stress in America. The federal government is broke. Most of our state and local governments are broke. Record numbers of Americans are going bankrupt. Record numbers of Americans are being kicked out of their homes. Record numbers of Americans are now living in poverty.

The debt-fueled prosperity of the last several decades came at a cost. We literally mortgaged the future. Now nothing will ever be the same again.

Even after reading your items here, most in America will truly NOT recognize the fact that the two now unnecessary wars the USA pursues for EMPIRE benefiting Israel have financially wrecked America. Example:
The $5 Billion wasted in Afghanistan each month would do wonders for the towns, cities, counties and states in dealing with the economic turmoil here in America.

Brad

Does this really surprise anyone??? Does anyone believe our spending addiction can be cured short of economic collapse?? It’s the spending stupid!

As a Venezuelan I learned entrepreneurship and the value of efficiency without subsidies from America, which I apply in my country through general hardship. Now America must act accordingly.

Omni737

I am amazed everytime I read on of these articles.

The answer to ur problems was put in place by our founding fathers and still exists today. At this point, the Federal Gov no longer serves the people and instead is acting as the agent of the bankers. We must remember that the States are VOLUNTARY members of the US. The process in front of us is simple.

1.) People need to pressure their state governors for succession from the US. This would be great if done as a mass movement with all states voting for succession on the same day. I bet, with this economy and the loest level of satisfaction with the Feds seen in our history, you would have an effect similar to what happened with the vote in Missouri on the Healthcare law.

2.) The states, now no longer part of the Fed, now collect half the taxes the Feds did and let the populace have the other half.

3.) The State ratify a new Constitution and reform a government based on our orginal founding principals.

Problems solved. The Fed is gone, the Fed Reserve is gone, the bankers go belly up, the States are out of budget crisis, and people can get back to work again.

It’s time to dissolve the US as it is known and to form a government again by the people and for the people.

Steve D

You could never tell a gov or union worker to take a cut, and they will never say it is this bad..no just raise the taxes on the private sector …the people the pay the whole bill!!!Same with entitlements.Well the people that pay the whole bill are tired. Being on the private side I wish I could retire after 20 years,have 5 sick days.7 personal days, almost free health care, comp time, 3 weeks vacation and on and on…all on our private sector dime. Austerity is coming TG

Maria

“So what is the answer?”

Government efficiency? Spending less? You are kidding right? THERE IS NO MORE MONEY. The cost of everything is going up, and the number of taxpayers is going down. You can’t get blood from a turnip no matter how much you tax it. These “austerity measures” are only the transition phase into complete collapse.

Your only answers come from that person in your mirror. That’s the person who is going to save you and your family.

Useful ‘food for thought’ data – good work. I am sending a link to this article this morning to the over 10,000 opt-in Subscribers to http://www.StockResearchPortal.com with commentary on this article. The concluding sentence in that commentary says: “For those of you who don’t live in the U.S. municipalities and States mentioned in the article, don’t for a minute think your municipality, State or Province is somehow potentially isolated from this problem if it currently is in a serious debt obligation position and continues to run large annual deficits”.

Josey Wales

It’s about time to shrink the government itself,cutting the police force is a good start, but it’s the politicians in the court house and capitol that really need to be cut. Cutting the state workers back and their over inflated retirement will also go along way, remember the old saying “if it’s to good to be true, it usually is” ? Well insurance for life and a retirement check that is worth more than most middle class families make, is one such example of “to good to be true” Now if your one of those who is losing your benifits, don’t feel to bad about how naive you were, you were conned by the best in the business, (world), conned by the American Politician. They told you what you wanted to hear, they used you, and now the gig is up. Politics,As a prefix,POLY often meaning more than one or many (eg, polyvalent – capable of many valences) Tics are blood suckers, and as they suck the blood out of their host (The middle class) their host drys up or the Tic gets huge in size and falls off. That’s what we’re witnessing today. Many Tics falling off the host, but this will allow the host to become healthy once again.

Now don’t be scared, for the government hasn’t take away the 2nd ammendment yet, so grow a set of Balls, learn how to use a gun and protect yourself. The government uses fear to promote these wasteful spending habits anyway, fear to pass laws that only gives them more power and takes more of our God given rights away (and our tax money). As the police force shrinks, learn who you neighbors are, and band together to help one another,strenghting your communities. Like Americans used to do. Let’s get back to having family and community values and we won’t need all this police protection, as a bonus, the pregnancy rate of our little girls may very well decline as family values strenghten. This will also reduce welfare benifits, more savings for tax payers. Looks like a snow ball rolling down hill, now doesn’t it. I’m sure if you looked for the benifits of shrinking government, instead of the negitive side, you would find more benifits than negitives.. Let’s get these Tics out of our lives and become self-sufficient again. Keep our tax money to use as we see fit, and if your worried about the state parks, then let’s have a state park day, were everyone in the community comes out and works together for the good of their community, this will also help people in the community to get to know each other, strengthening the comunnity further.It will help people form relationships with their neighbors. If noone shows up? Well I guess the community didn’t put to high of value on the park system then and the park was just another tool to siphen more tax dollars from the American people, the money was probably another scam by our goverment for reckless spending and pet projects. Have a nice day Y’all and don’t lose any sleep over “Austerity”

Great article, paints an accurate picture. Hope Americans wake up and take steps to protect themselves….

flubadub

When a campaigning politician tries to rally support by talking about the need for cutting spending he’ll never go into specifics. The reason: the list you’ve provided are many of those specifics. There are, of course, many more but if the reaction to the findings of the debt and deficit reduction commission’s report is any indication, nothing will be done at the federal level until we as a nation are in the same shape as Camden NJ.

Tom Brown

Very informative, thanks a lot!

Michael2

I posted at my blog 18 months ago ‘austerity’ would be coming to America soon and I was scoffed at or ridiculed at some blogs. I wrote that I thought there were silver linings in the coming economic dark clouds that were forming over us.

Things like realizing,

1.We do not need Giant central banks or fiat money

2.That schemes by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are quick sand, designed to suck nations under

3.That Wall Street is rigged and corrupt and has to much influence and control over the economy

4.That Federal and State governments need to be seriously monitored

5.We do not need Credit cards and usury schemes

6.We do not need giant retail stores like Walmart, Kmart, etc.

7.We start looking locally for produce/meat and other goods and services

8.People start growing more of their own food—(realizing the scary monopoly Monsanto has in the industry)

I don’t know if total control is the objective of some of the world’s elite but it is being alleged by some that this is the case. In my humble opinion there is enough circumstantial evidence, like in the list above, to indicate that the so called conspiracy theory might be true. If true, historically there is always an Achilles heel in plans of the elite if and when total control is their objective. The Achilles heel in our times might just be people returning to a simpler way of life. By returning to a simpler way of life people realize that giant corporations, central banks etc. are not needed at all. Hence they wither and die while still on the vine. They certainly were not needed in times past. I only hope humanity has come to the point that a “velvet revolution” gets the point across to those that think they have or want control. History shows though that bloody revolution sometimes is the only recourse. My hope is we soon grow tired of war, if for nothing else than it’s expensive, as I question just how much more destruction the earth and nations can take before we spiral into a Dark Ages type of chaos.

Finally, the best thing to me that I hope will come out of this though is the architects of this insanity realize that they ultimately cannot control people from the “cradle to the grave” as it alleged by some they think. We are not worthless eaters, sheeple or unintelligent lower life forms of inferior bloodlines to be controlled and lorded over. All the surveillance in the world, computers, high tech identification techniques and other technocratic control measures or the Shock Doctrine (see Naomi Klein) and “never let a good crisis go to waste” government, quoting Rahm Emanuel, will not produce the outcomes they want. Americans already proved to the Old World Order once, freedom is and will always be the only solution.

hipshotpercusion

One only needs to read a book written in the 1970s by Andrew McDonald called “Turner Diaries” that outlines much of the financial troubles our once great country is going through. The book was pooh poohed at the time by many critics as being very racially charged. This may be true, but the book still is very prophetic in how it describes what happens when dishonest government prevails.

Mariposa de Oro

All of these ‘painful’ cuts are just a ploy to extort more money from taxpayers. Notice the departments for ‘diversity’, ‘equal-opportunity’ and anything to do with the Big Green Environmental Machine are being left intact. The socialists who run our various governments are just trying to inflict pain on their citizens so the citizens will come up with more taxe money. They will not stop until the country is utterly destroyed.

Jeremiah

This is truly scary. I don’t think anyone understood that this was what Ross Perot was referring to as he described the results of NAFTA. It sucks to be us.

Colin

I disagree with you, Mariposa de Oro. I don’t think that socialism is the evil you think it is. If done properly, as in Finland, a country can prosper. I believe that as more and more people are forced into lower paying jobs, as the good paying jobs are being either outsourced or eliminated due to automation or consolidation, there will be less money to be taxed. How much money can the government take from a person working two or three minimum wage jobs?

I am not crazy about taxes, but some of the happiest people in the world are those living in high tax countries like Denmark, Sweden and Austria. I wonder why? Maybe it’s because their taxes ACTUALLY IMPROVE THEIR LIVES – health care, free or cheap university education, good infrastructure, good public areas for recreation.

Why do people in the USA hate taxes so much.
Well, lets see. Next year we will spend 20% of all our taxes on defense and security (715 billion dollars – this does not include veterans benefits, which is another 7% – but a well-deserved 7%)).

Oh, I am so happy that twenty cents of every dollar in taxes I pay will help us find more efficient ways to kill people OR that my 20 cents will pay to train a pilot like a school friend I have who went to the Airforce Academy for free and made scores of practice flights to train as a pilot but then never engaged in any conflict [the cost to train one jet pilot (T-45 line) is $1,439,754 as reported by a study by the UCLA School of Law] OR that my 20 cents will pay for someone to pat down my grandmother at the airport. (Oh don’t thank me granny – the money was well-spent just knowing how fun the pat down was for you).

Being world police is so much fun, and such a good value for the money. Why just think how horrible and scary the world would be if we hadn’t invaded Grenada! Or think of the disaster that might have happened in the 1980s if we hadn’t destroyed Iraq with our military might! We might have had money to spend on other things (what a horrible thought) or we might not have been given the pleasure of spending billions more to rebuild it after spending billions to destroy it in the first place.

No wonder our country is broke.

Cut our defense budget by at least 50% – and you will make the world a safer place and put a decent size dent in our deficit. Pray that people start listening to Ron Paul on this even if they ignore him on everything else.

Thanks again staff and the writers of the Economic Collapse for such a informative article! Michael2 is right on money with what he says and is 100% true!!! We are sinking very fast and the whole world is in a quagmire of quicksand!!! Our leaders of the House and Senate have done this too all of us with bad decision making that has put all of us past the point of no return!!! Their day of reckoning will come when they all stand before God Almighty and give-an account of their scandalous ways and have robbed the middle class and the poor into bankruptcy!!! What they might not realize that one day, they will be in the same boat along with all of us due to the economic collapse!!! Food, is going to be the next primary issue due to flooding, famines and plant disease in many countries of the world!!! Our national food reserves are at a critical level, the worst in the history of observing the reserves to date!!! Do not mean to beat a dead horse on this, but its time to prepare for the worst, go to: http://www.survivorblog.com and http://www.danielrevelationbiblestudies.com and glean whatever you can before it’s too late!!!

David M

Social program spending (aka deadbeat spending) will bankrupt you every time. Instead of spending on the future, we have spent increasing amounts of money on the crybaby class in America — people who repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot or those who make little or no effort to participate as a functioning member of society. Those programs should be the first to be cut (try eliminating daycare centers in schools and taxpayer-funded housing), but are invariably the last in this country.

Good job putting this list together. I warned people in the middle of last year to become familiar with the word “austerity”. Now it’s here in the USA. Keep up the good work!

a cruel accountant

Low wages in China. High wages in USA and debt.

Increasing living standard in China. Decreasing in USA.

This is why our state and local governments have decreasing revenues.

If you want a job put $7.25 on your application.

Derek Smith

The American government needs to start by killing the central bank, seizing control of industries that are profitable, vital to basic infrastructure, or corrupt. Banks (wall street), telecommunications and media, electric, health care, natural resources and so on. Any company profiting from war (arms and weapons production) should be owned by the tax payers. They need to take back control of the agricultural industry from companies like Montasano and put it back into the hands of hard working independent farmers. Stop letting companies steal water and sell it back to us. There needs to be harsh penalties for any American company that moves jobs out of the country. The American government does not work for the people, they work for bankers and big business, and 98% of the population pays the price or suffers as a result, it is time for revolt.

mondobeyondo

Austerity measures are painful in any state or country. Unfortunately, for the U.S. that pain will be acute, because we’ve become accustomed to two chickens in every pot, an iPhone in every pocket, a cop on every street corner, and a Social Security check in every senior’s mailbox. And a hi-def TV set in the living room, with some idiot “reality” show or game show on every channel in the evening.

Are They Really Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (sorry, couldn’t resist that one!) Turns out a lot of people really aren’t.

It’s gonna be brutal. This will hurt, really bad. Like a root canal without painkillers. But there’s a 99.9% chance more cuts, fewer services and higher taxes will be our future. You will pay more and get much less.

Maybe this will finally awaken the masses out of their football coma, and into the streets, like they’re doing in England and Greece. Be afraid, though. Be very afraid. Hell hath no fury like sheeple (with guns) scorned.

Jack

You guys all miss reality. Your President, George Bush, put you into a war(s) that has drained your country. Looking for weapons of mass destruction (duh…) and expecting Iraqis to welcome you with open arms (duh again). And yet the rest of the world watches as you ignore the fact that you created this by voting for him (and some of you still love Sarah). Get with it – create a reasonable society and stop pushing the rest of the world around. Then you can get over your paranoia about government and have a wonderful life. Or you can buy more guns. Which you will do.

BudleighS

It’s actually all quite simple. We, the relatively rich of the world, have been maxing out our lifestyles with credit for decades. Now the party is over, someone has to clean up the mess, and the bills are coming due. Oh yeah, we got a major headache. And your job will be gone on Monday morning.

Learn to play the blues, it could make you a living in the world to come.

DownWithLibs

I’m finding a lot of the photos you use for the articles rather compelling. It would be nice if you could tell us which ones are actually taken in this country, such as the crumbling factories. Might help give some doubters more reason to believe. Although if they are stock photos, I realize that you may not know for sure.

Get you facts straight

I respect everyone’s opinion, but some of you are just making up facts. I am a federal did employee. I can’t retire at 20, I don’t have ridiculous amounts is sick leave or vacation, I also work my butt off every single day! Remember WHO most federal workers are… Retired active duty military, veterans, spouses of military, and disabled! I am a conservative with libertarian leanings, and I agree with most posts by this author, but I should not be vilified because of my employer. I know that many of us are just plain pissed off…and I am too, WHO benefits from us attacking eachother rather than fixing the problem and voting ou those who contributed to the problem? The political leaders that caused the problems to begin with. The love the distractions because it gets them off the hook!

David

As I mentioned many times, The United States of America is doomed to collapse and it is too late.

We all should expect more chaos and riots in the streets of America; things will go out of control and before you know it DUKES and Gangs will take over any major city. The false Democracy and Constitution has been injected into American peoples mind for too long. And sadly many have not realized of those pipe dreams and false democracy which have ruled our lives for too long. It is a time to rejuvenate our Constitution, which was really designed to benefit by the people and for the people. What we witness today is on the contrary. Politicians. the elite . . . . .really have destroyed this country and beyonds and it is up to Us (The People) to restore the rights and dignity of our nation and her citizens. It is a rude awakening I am afraid. As we see today; The United State of America is a sham. And it is up to the American people to control the destiny of The America today because tomorrow may be too late.

Wayne / Tx

Before we swallow this whole whine from certain public officials it might be interesting to question why one very important factor is not being discussed as we lurch towards impending doom.

It’s possible we may not be hearing the whole story from our ‘trusted’ public officials when it comes to discussing public finances…..imagine that. Turns out most public entities have huge surpluses of $ that are contained under something called the ‘CAFR’ or Comprehensive Annual Fin’l Reports which are NEVER discussed by our officials….sure they talk all day long about ‘budgets’ which are basically projections at the beginning of the year but when was the last time you heard these people talk about the true results at the end of the year and included all the $ that moved into the CAFR funds and most importantly the INCOME from their investments?

To learn more about this possible con job keyword ‘CAFR Walter Burien’ and his site discusses how they pull off this scam. There’s a good chance a lot of our problems could be reversed if this info could see the light of day.

After all……they wouldn’t lie to us would they?

Gary2

Until the wealth of the rich parasites is taxed hard and spread around I do not think that the people who did not have a seat at the party should now be made to pay for that party.

I want to see a wall street transaction tax. I want to see hedge funds managers taxed at 70% and not the criminally low 15%. ANYONE who makes 6-7 figure incomes is rich and needs to pay! Much more so for the 7 figure group.

More people feel like me-a recent MSNBC/CNN pole said that 60% of the people surveyed said to raise taxes on the rich before cutting services. A Peterson sponsored town meeting on the deficit -even though it was downplayed most of the participants said to raise taxes on the rich. We are gaining more power however slowly and we will tax the rich and spread the wealth. Its coming.

Come to the food pantry and ask them if the rich should pay more and the wealth spread around. Come to the meals on wheels where I volunteer and ask them if the rich should be taxed more. Go to the local store/restaurant and ask them if the rich should be taxed more and their wealth spread around. We do not have much power to effect change yet but we are gaining. You are hearing more and more about the gross income and wealth inequality and how the rich do not pay their fair share.

My side is winning and my side wants to TAX THE RICH AND SPREAD THE WEALTH.

Mistikleen

In the meantime Obama is preparing to take his twelfth vacation…
Are you better off now than you were two years ago? How’s that ‘change’ thing working for ya bubba?

Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the “Patriotic Retirement Plan”:
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire and stay retired. Forty million job openings =
Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new AMERICAN Car. Forty million cars ordered –
Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage –
Housing Crisis fixed.

If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes.

While you’re at it, force Congressional elite to ditch current self-voted lavish pensions, then to retire on Social Security and Medicare.

This is what a broken economic model looks like: record profits for corporate America, Wall Street paying out fat bonuses to its execs and the wealthy doing well enough to create a surge in demand for luxury items, while most of the rest of us struggle just to make ends meet in a devastated economic landscape.

My side is waking up-we will tax the rich and corporations and spread the wealth. No one cares if the right wingers object as they are the problem.

This is going to get worse I would suggest Surviving the Economic Collapse by Fernando Ferfal Aguirre. He went though the 2001 Meltdown in Argentina it’s an eye opener. He challenges some deeply held beliefs about the “heading for hills mind set” if your looking for first hand experience it’s a book worth looking at.

One reason Arizona is broke. While in a grocery store check-out line, the Mexican guy in front of me opened his wallet filled with cash and pay’s for his taco’s and can of refried beans with food stamp coupons (this was like 10 years ago before swipe cards). The bills in his wallet were like two inches thick! Yet he pay’s in food stamps, courtesy of you and me. He probably worked on a construction site too, and got paid cash under-the-table resulting in no income tax taken from him. In California look up “food stamp qualification” on their web site. Did you know if you are illegal and tell the food stamp people that you were “Trafficed” across the border that you are entitled to the whole enchilada! Pardon the pun, but if you were trafficed you get a free ride. Guess that leaves out all the blonde haired blue eyed white Anglo men in the country. No wonder we’re broke.

Rick

Companies need to stop passing on “the bill” to the people. If your CEO earns more than half million per year.. YOUR COMPANY FOOTS THE BILL.. NOT THE TAX PAYERS!

The Beast

Despite all that, the US Federal Government still maintain the world’s largest standing army with defense budget bigger than the rest of the world COMBINED!!
So whenever we look at North Korea, remember that the US Government is not that different at all -“Military First” Policy is also in place in the US.

mondobeyondo

God Bless America!

Now get out there and wave that flag! And light those fireworks! (Except the ones that are prohibited. You can’t legally launch bottle rockets in a major city in Arizona, because it poses a “fire danger” and by doing so, could burn down your neighbor’s house. Sparklers are generally accepted, but they burn at about 800 degrees F. and would immediately ignite any nearby vegetation.)

mondobeyondo

“We the Sheeple of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Pasture…provide for the common Wool, to Fleece over the Eyes of our fellow Sheeple. Promote the general Social Insecurity, and Provide for Ourselves, and screw our Posterity, and all Posterities Thereafter. Do Ordain and Establish, this Pasture of the United States of America.”

Wilma

William, you are half right about the expense in Iraq and Afghanistan helping to destroy this country economically. Lets review, shall we?
Bush:
1.5 Trillion spent in Iraq, 1 Trillion (almost) spent in Afghanistan, 1 Trillion for TARP (Bank Bailout)
Total: Almost 4 Trillion dollars
Obama: Billions so far spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, and soon to be Pakistan, and 5 Trillion in the Bank Bailouts. Total: Almost 7 Trillion dollars

And, if John McCain had been elected, he would have done the same thing as Obama. No difference. So whats up? The Fed is controlled by private banks and always was. But now the level of greed has morphed into Godzilla in the greatest blow-off top of all time (blown off in 2007). The banks/incipient corporatist fascists know the game is up, so they’re creating TRILLIONS MORE in debt and stealing it. This is the greatest theft in world (probably galactic) history. Face the facts as we go down, its BOTH parties, got it? BOTH parties thought that if Keynes said “a little debt is good” then a LOT OF DEBT IS GREAT. HAHAHA, FOOLS. I’m ready for Mad Max and I’ve even got a little dingo, “50 cal.”

BillybonesIII

So, how far are we in Canada and Mexico ( remember NAFTA ?) behind you folks in America.
Here in BC we’ve been strapped with a “Harmonized tax”. I believe in the States you would call it a “Value Added Tax VAT. We wimpered a little then rolled over and accepted it.
I guess sooner or later the border has to come down and we all have to deal with this ogre.

Colin

Federal and state employees are members of the Union. The Union is under attack by the Corporations. Corporations are opposed to working conditions that are beneficial to the laborers. If the Union is destroyed, then the Corporations can set work policies that benefit the shareholders and the investors and not the laborers.

tuco22

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Gregg Riggs

Huh. Well, we could always go back to what worked in the earliest days of the nation. Ya know? Like entangling alliances with no one? That’s a start. End the welfare state. End the war on drugs. Hell, end ALL wars and bring ALL troops home and put them to work manufacturing. End all welfare, including Social Security. End all tax-funded education. Drop a bomb on all the taxation and restrictions that favor corporate business and hamper and small business entrepreneurs and owners.

Sounds horrific, doesn’t it? Well, it worked just fine in 1776. America prospered and became the industrial Goliath of the world. We were the envy of everyone. We were the best educated, had the best standard of living, had some of the most healthy and long-lived citizens, etc. Our system was so efficient that the old kingships of Europe had to mock our system just to keep up. America has long squeezed the last dregs out of that massive prosperity, and now we are living on the debt and credit we earned in that period of lush growth.

What to do with the poor and the needy? Give them to the Church! That’s what Christians are for! Being a Christian, I am appalled that the “Sons of God” have turned their responsibility over to the State! The Church of Jesus Christ MUST step in and take care of the needy! Let The Church educate and teach the youth! If you’re unGodly, fine, let your kids learn somewhere else, or teach them yourself, but NO MORE tax funded education! But the Churches languish in their big buildings with nothing to do. They have their fancy praise teams, their high-paid pastors, their workbook studies, their conferences and summits, their “christian” yoga, with no end in sight! While, literally, the people next door are lost with no hope of ever being witnessed to. Christians have lost touch with their great Commission. They have given over all their responsibilities to the State and a handful of distant, unknown, unsung missionaries.

Sound like a rant? You bet it is. After all, how can you blame a Godless society on the lost? The only way the devil could have taken America down was if America’s Christians stood down. Sadly, this is the case. Is it too late? NO WAY! With God, all things are possible. It’s revival time, People, and small measures will avail us nothing. Those who know Christ, listen to your hearts. Do you not hear the altar call? It’s time to shine, and shine to whole nation!

The best place to start? Tear down all the false and graven images in D.C. Destroy the marbled images of the old Roman and Greek gods. Dunk the “Statue of Liberty” into the sea and be done with her filthy symbolism! Push over the obelisk and bury it in the ground. Be done with praising false gods, false principles, false laws. Let us worship one God, and one only. Let us turn away from mannon and turn to the Almighty.

This is for Christians. The lost will hate it, and I’m truly sorry for that. I wish we could sit down with a cup of coffee and have a long talk. For the lost, I have a great compassion. For the “Sons of God,” I have only a war cry: “THE ONLY KING IS KING JESUS!”

Ginger

It’s because of public employee pensions. They should never have been legal – never. Private citizens are funding their largesse. It is not fair – why can’t anyone in government see this? They are going to have to be cut sooner or later, and they will be the ones rioting. Let the greedy punks complain.

Unfortunately the governments problems are the peoples problems sooner or later.It is time for the people of this country to set the standard by getting out of debt and begin living within our means.The debtor is a slave to the lender.If you are in debt then you are not free.

Paul

Gregg Riggs for president!

I’m not sure if I could disagree with a single word you said. Great rant.

Gene

You say “incredibly severe budget cuts that we have seen already”. ROFLMAO. I’m from Illinois and we haven’t seen ANY cuts in any way in the state, county, township or villages that come anywhere close to budget CUTS. Then you use the example of 48,000 state workers turning in their cell phones, oh my. What’s next, total anarchy.

So Derek, you’re suggesting that by nationalizing certain industries (which will essentially mean greater socialism/facism) is the answer?

That’s hard to believe given the huge welfare/warfare state that the United States has become.

Had Enuff

It is apparent that the globalization of our economy has worked… for other nations.We should have never allowed to become entangled into alliances and trade agreements. Both parties that supposidly represent us in D.C. only desire to consolidate power for thier own personal gains. The conservatives we have sent to Washington are already compromising with the left. Compromising always leaves both parties sucking wind.

mel

RE: Gregg Riggs
January 19th, 2011 at 3:22 pm

95% of the Churches ARE corporations. Show that to me in scripture where your Greek Jesus’ Said to do it. My Hebrew Yeshua, said we struggle against powers and principalities. . The Churches have been taught how to council people in the event of an emergency. More demonic crap.

My Point – this is a good article but Nimrods churches(think steeples) are ill equipped and not the ones to do the job of education. No the Jesus Churches aren’t the answer. Incidentally Jesus means Horse in Hebrew-Abraham was the first Hebrew and Yeshua was of the Tribe of Judah. EHEYH means I Am – the name given to moses when he ask the creator who shall I say sent me. EHYEH=I Am, Shua means saves(or Salvation) in Hebrew- EHEYHSHUA mean I Am Saves. Yeshua

A prudent man see the problems and prepares.

Maybe Just maybe Cutting is better than raising taxes. Remember these are all Corporations, not Men that are raising the Taxes.

All I see is stupid ways of cutting spending.
How about a 5% pay cut for all federal, state and city/town employees.
How about a 5% reduction in all pensions
How about all welfare, social security disability, WIC, medicaid recipients have to work or volunteer at local parks, libriaries, government owned agencies for free for 10 hours a week. No work or volunteering no benefits.
How about limiting the amount of children a benefit recipient is allowed to get “Paid” for.
How about free birth control?
How about cutting all the tax breaks given to the rich?
How about getting companies to come back to america?
How about a tax on all imported goods?
How about a tax penalty on ameican companies that have moved their services overseas.
Hell I could think of a million ways to cut the budget and they would not include laying off police officers that we need or building casino’s that we don’t need. How about laying off some politicians that’s definitely something we don’t need.

helen

good idea !

melissa

Tammy and Helen, you must not be an employee of a federal, state, or city agency. I’m a state employee and don’t make over 32000. My check has continued to decrease due to rising taxes and rising health premiums. I have not received in increase in pay since becoming a state employee 6 years ago. We are the lowest paid state in the country for what I do (child abuse investigations). I haven’t had internet, cable, or trash service in 3 years and I have no heat or hot water from the months of march through October because I simply can’t afford it….and that is with me working a 2nd job. Go ahead and slash checks another 5% because its not going to hurt your wallet. Everybody who thinks like you really pisses me off. Most government employees aren’t receiving enormous salaries as you seem to assume. I have a mortgage, a car payment, and student loans like many people in this country and I work overtime hours for no pay and hardly get any vacation time approved because we dont have enough staff to respond to the hundreds of cases a week that are received due to budget cuts. Try to not be so ignorant ladies and learn about the 90% of govt. Employees who aren’t getting substantial paychecks before recommending slashing all employees checks.

Heissovereign

Gregg While I agree with most if not all of what you say, God is still sovereign and His will shall be done with or without us. Someone once told me that you will yield to Gods commands by faith or by force.

By Grace, Larry

alien

Geez Gene, why would your marxist infested state have to cut budgets or services? You aren’t paying your freaking bills!!! The hammer will drop on Illinois when nobody will offer them goods and services on credit any longer. Game over.

1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

What’s god got to do with it? Not a goddamn thing! Wake up, there is no god! The bible is a 2000 yr old fiction. The Torah, Quran, and all others are in the same boat. These people thought the world was flat, the sun revolved around the earth, were wrong about the causes of diseases, wrong about just about everything, including the existence of god.

We are in a depression. It won’t ever end. Peak oil is here, and close on its heels, global climate change. Prepare to live like Afghani tribesmen, if you survive.

steve

It’s unfortunate that you don’t believe in God because he created you & sent His son Jesus to die for your sins. Don’t except your ingnorance of Him & read His word, it’s pure truth.

james

You, like Friedrich Nietzsche before you, boast there is no God. You are mistaken and I hope you realize it before it is too late. While you are entitled to your own beliefs, like most atheists you spend more time working against the faith of others rather than working to promote your own ideals.

Painful? Only if you are addicted to an unsustainable life-style, which almost all Americans are.

Austerity will be the best thing that has happened to this country. It’s long over due. IT will be our savior from the insane program we’ve been brainwashed to believe in.

With austerity we will see the masses being force-fed simplicity and back to basics reality. All the junk greedy Americans have grown comfortable with will disappear. Addictions with ipods and texting to GMO junk food and TV will no longer be the norm that creates empty people. One out of six Americans on some psychotropic drug will have to make it on their own. One out of every two FAT Americans, flaunting their their pathetic obesity, if they survive, will become thin again. Jenny Craig will naturally and automatically go out of business. Health will return.

Yes, many, many will parish in the short term, but hey, they had it coming. So full of themselves. So self absorbed in using their maxed out credit card to buy one more toy to satisfy that insatiable itch dis-ease that runs rampant in a culture that has no culture, will have to cold turkey those habits.

Americans will finally wake up. It will be extremely painful for most. And somewhat uncomfortable for those of us who have had to endure navigating around their stress, greed and illness. But it will be worth it. Yes, for those who have been living sustainably, who have been careful not to infringe on others rights, who have supported all living creatures big and small, when the masses are going nuts because they finally will have to deal with reality, if we can keep our cool, once we get to the other side, which will probably take about 10 years to traverse to, something quite wonderful is in store for us. And I’m not talking biblical nonsense. The religious righteous are just as much to blame with their addictions of being holier than thou attitudes.

Yes, austerity is long over due. Bring it on!

Rachael

We need real (and I mean game-chang­ing) financial and monetary reform in this country.

Private banks should never have the power to create a nation’s money exclusivel­y via loans!

Countries (as in the Federal Government­s) shouldn’t have to borrow from private Central Banks, especially as in the United States where the Federal Government has the authority to coin its own debt free money anyway.

REAL representa­tives (of which we are in almost zero supply) of and for the people SHOULD be directing the Treasury Department to issue U.S. Notes (as in Colonial times, like Lincoln’s Greenbacks­­­­, and as President Kennedy tried to do) to pay off the National debt.

At the same time, increase the reserve ratio private banks are required to maintain from 10% to 100%, thereby terminatin­­­­g their ability to create money, while simultaneo­­­­usly absorbing the funds created to retire the national debt.

These two relatively simple steps, which Congress has the power to enact under Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constituti­­on, would extinguish the national debt, without inflation or deflation, and end the unjust practice of private banks creating money as loans (i.e., fractional reserve banking) as this article so clearly points out as being a very systemic problem.

Paying off the national debt would wipe out the $400+ billion annual interest payments and thereby go a long way towards balancing the budget. These actions would stabilize the economy and end the boom-bust economic cycles caused by fractional reserve banking.

Gene

Alien,
Good point. We the taxpayers have been
negligent all these years in paying our
“fair share”. Bend over and pony up, or
worse, beg to lender in chief, Washington
to pay the bills. I hear a fat lady in the
background warming up.

schwartzer

In all these comments I see nothing that addresses the root of the problem …the federal reserve. End it and we resolve the problem.

Jetta

nothing about stop funding Illegal immigrants which is the root of the problem…. hum!!!1

Gene

J,
Ummm, I think they meant a
15 BILLION dollar deficit
but, what’s a few zeros.

Meanwhile, Senator Barbara Boxer still thinks it’s a good idea to bring in H1-B workers from India to undercut American workers.

What’s American unemployment at again?

Tina Keeling

What is interesting here in all the posts is that no one has said anything about the TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS of dollars spent on educating the MILLIONS of ILLEGAL ALIENS. The trillions spent on aid to the illegal aliens, the trillions spent by city, state and federal governments for medical care to the illegal aliens. The millions of jobs that the illegal aliens take. The millions of dollars that is spent to print everything in english and spanish. The millions of dollars spent to have your “computerized telephone center” speak in english and spanish.

The list goes on and on.

I agree that the Churches should take care of their community, but if they are paying their “Multi-Millionaire Pastor” millions of dollars, how can they afford it. Most churches are corporations that pay “ZERO TAXES” to the city, state or federal government.

Then you also have to blame yourself. If you have credit card debt, then you too have become a slave to the big corporations! If you have every “Settled” your debt with a percentage of your balance, you are a slave. If you have filed bankruptcy, then you too are a slave.

You/We must all stop using credit, start paying with cash and barter/exchange things we can to for/with each other.

All FREE services need to stop.

Social Security is not a free service. Everyone that receives SS now, paid into the system, except the illegal aliens that might collect it.

Unfortunately, Social Security is the Biggest PONZI scheme we have ever seen. Did you know that your Senators, Congressmen and President DO NOT pay into social security? They dont get it either. Why, because they wont need it. Why, because after just 1 term, they get their full salary 100% as retirement FOR LIFE! This is also something that needs to be stopped. Everyone of those paychecks should STOP now. Let them go back to work or live off the millions of dollars that they took as bribes while in office.

We all need to help a friend or neighbor. This does not mean giving MONEY. If you give money, then they wont help themselves. Give your time or help in other ways. Be a good Christian and donate your time or services. Teach someone to read or teach them a trade.

imp

If we just don’t pay the banks for the money they created out of thin air, the states and cities will have more than enough money to cover their pension checks and park maintenance.

Chaz

Why this country has steadily gone downhill in recent decades?
Where do I begin?
1)Politicians pervailing interest to seek office is for power and personal gain as well as providing jobs to freinds and relatives.
And don’t tell me to vote them out. First of all you need substantial money to even have a chance to run and even if you had nobel intentions you would get corrupted by the elite members of congress to play their game or you’d be alienated by their gang leader.
2)Why do judges have the power to overule a jury’s verdict? They why even have jury trials?
3)This country is not as free as gov’t would have you believe, it’s a subtle police state.

sopwith

The 500 pound gorilla in the room is ILLEGAL ALIENS sucking the life out of this country. LA county alone spends 600 million a year on illegals, and the total for the USA is around 330 billion. We are being invaded, counquered, and colonized by criminals from other lands that turn everyplace they go into a cockroach colony. It is time to end the reconquista and send our troops into Mexico to stop the drug war and claim resources to get some payback. The Roman empire perished by allowing the poor barbarians into the empire in a show of humanitarianism. They payed dearly for their compassion with the collapse of Rome and the death of the emperor. Is that what is in store for the USA?

XTrust_No1X

Some of you, have good ideas how to cut. But, we cannot make cuts to the most vulerable, the Elderly & The Disabled. Like the President stated, there will be deep cuts, but, there should be increases in Social Security & Medicare, not decreases. Next, some of the hardest workers and underpaid, are School Employees. If they want to Cap Property Taxes, I say, Cap them, but certain things should be exempt, like School Taxes, payments into State Pension Funds and so on. What would bring in boat loards of cash, a flat tax for everybody, but more importantly, all Businesses and big Corporations. No loopholes, no write-offs. Everybody pays 14%tax, except for those on Social Security, Disablitity, and Medicaid. Next, the number one things that has to be addressed, how to fund Social Security for the future. Easy, have a sliding scale FICA tax increase. Those 60-50 an 1.5% increase, 50-45 5% increase, 45-40 8% increase, 40-35 12% increase, 35-25 a 20% increase, and finally, 25-16 a 27% increase in FICA taxes deducted from paychecks, no increase of age elibility, no cuts in future benefits. Yes, there are a lot of things that have to be done, but Ameica has been through tough times before, and we always come out on top, and we will again. But we have to work together, not as Republicans, Democrats in seperate camps, but together.

I agree with Europeon Americans view point, but this country (USA) is so far gone, I am picking up all my marbles and joining a new game somewhere south of the border.
Brazil looks good

Vince Dees

Social Security and Disability must remain…but Section 8 and Welfare to able bodied people has to cease…SS must remain for those WHO PAID INTO IT FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES…it is only fair…if you want it to cease it in the future, fine…then cut it out…but pay those who paid into it….AND WE MUST GET OUT OF FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS UNLESS THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT US…not theoretically might affect us…are really affecting us…in no uncertain terms………
AND ONE MORE THING…START CHARGING HIGH PRICES FOR EACH BUSHEL OF WHEAT WE SEND TO THE WORLD….IN FACT, MAKE IT COMMENSURATE WITH THE PRICE OF A BARREL OF OIL…OR, MAKE IT TWICE AS MUCH…SCREW THE REST OF THE WORLD…
CHARITY BEGINS IN THE HOME….

Tanaquil

This is nobody’s fault but our own – and it goes back to the generation of the baby boomers and the damned hippies. I’m only 30 years old and it’s NOT difficult to see how slovenly a nation we have become since the 1950’s. The “do what feels good” era wrecked us. Where is the discipline? Where is the drive? Our kids sit in school, drink their sugary-caffiene beverages and eat their Doritos and listen to their ipods and spend most of their time “hooking up”. THIS is what happens when you let “do what feels good” infiltrate a couple of generations. We get fat, lazy, stupid people. I hated public school because it was so goddamn boring – we cater to the lowest denomination – and when the lowest denomination is the child of a pot-smoking idiocracy, well, you do the math on that one.

Hey, I’m all for freedom. Do what you want. But I think it’s high time we started to use a little common sense here. If you want to smoke pot (or do any other ellicit drugs for that manner) and be lazy, go ahead. But accept the consequences. I’m tired of handing over my paycheck to help the hopeless.

Reform education. Start marking children who show drive, determination, and intelligence. Separate them out. Send them to college. Let them reap the rewards of their efforts. All the others can go to a suitable trade school after the 8th grade. There is no point in wasting time/money on kids who aren’t going to achieve more than parts sorter/burger flipper/stay-at-home mommy. It makes NO SENSE and is a huge drain on our society to prop these kids up and waste time and money on crap like “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND”. What a load of shit. Most people don’t even learn suitable skills like reading a micrometer/calipers, filling out/understanding parts inspection forms, etc. in school – you know, REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS. Why do we waste our time with “life skills” that teach kids how to balance checkbooks when they are too undisciplined to ever save enough money to keep a bank account with any money in it anyway?

If a child has crappy low-life parents – REMOVE THEM FROM THE HOME. My significant other heads up a small government agency aimed at saving money for the tax payers. It’s callled Home Detention. The greatest problem I have with this is the fact the the government works so very hard to “keep the kids with the parents”, and this is the reason a lot of the people on home detention are on the program instead of in jail. HOW SAD! That is the LAST thing a young child should be subjected to is a crappy ass parent saying “yeah, it’s OK to break the law”. These “parents” should be STERILIZED, not rewarded by getting to stay at home. We need to start sterilizing our lower IQ-criminally inclined population so they STOP replicating. If you think I’m a facist I say I have about 4 people in my OWN family I would love to see sterilized right now.

I should run for president. Too bad they don’t let the population that is being MOST affected by the current events in economics/governemnt have much of a say. Remember, I’m only 30. I can’t even run for president for another 5 years. What a load of CRAP.

Tell me when they start the Egyptial-style protest in Washington to reform Immigration/Education/Social Welfare/Government Fiscal Policy/Foreign Policy. I’ll be there. You betcha.

Suzy

I have a headache and I can’t sleep anymore.

LARRY

Why can’t we (people that pay taxes) monitor goverment spending online the same way goverment monitor us? I know for a fact that goverment wasteful spending would go down if it were made public…..

gary

We need to stop the influx of illegals into this country. I don’t care if they have families here they all need to leave. Iam sick and tired of paying taxes to support illegals. thay need to issue a “shot to kill”on the borders. they come over here have babies and ask us to support them and the families following them over. Iam sick and tired of seeing notices that i must be Bi-lingual in a country that speaks English. they need to go home.

We the people need to vote on all of the laws, & where your money gos, We the people need to stand to gather,We the people need to start at home, We need to fix your house before we can help the world!! Need to make Government smaller.
Need to go back in time and start over. We need more smaller business, More farms, more food,ex; No more corporation, Corporation Kills the little guys… Money is the root of all evil.We the people need to stand on your owe two feet! And not on are government.